My Five Things: Summer Edition

This summer is no-doubt one of the busiest of my life with weddings, trips, moving aparments, training, etc.  I look back on this summer and think, "Phew" and "Wow" at the same time.  Half of me is so thankful for all of the great changes in my life, new places I saw, new friends I met, new experiences had, and the other half is exhausted.  Exhausted.  Even as I type this I am sore all over from my run + kettle bells last night.  The training is not over as I have the Bourbon Chase in a little over a month. 

Despite all of the training pressure and subsequent fatigue and soreness, I've done my best to keep my life in check this summer.  So...how have I tried to maintain a sense of normalcy?

1. Sleep.  Sleeeeeeeeep.  Maybe not enough actually.  Whenever I've been able to squeeze in a nap I've done so.  When I went to SC back in July, I slept A LOT.  I declined some social events because all I wanted to do was go to bed.  One night last week I was in bed before 9 pm and it was glorious.  It's not just about getting in bed and not doing anything, it's about restoration and repair.  We do a lot to our bodies every day and I think lots of meaningful things happen when we sleep.  So I'm trying to take advantage of this natural process and let it do its healing thing.

2. Dessert.  Trader Joe's Ginger Cats anyone?  Chocolate Pistachio Custard from The Wild Olive? Yeah, I have a sweet tooth all right.  If I want dessert, no one's going to talk me out of it, not even myself.

3. Watermelon.  The amount of watermelon I've consumed this summer is probably more than what I've consumed in my entire life.  Why watermelon and why now? I have no idea.  It's light, refreshing, and you can eat a lot without feeling guilty.  Sometimes you gotta go for quantity over quality.

4. Alcohol.  I haven't withheld from "the drink" this summer amidst all the triathlon training.  I am/was on a huge seasonal beer kick with the summer ales.  Hops aren't my "thing" and I like light beers hence the summer ales are up my alley.  And not just beer, I've enjoyed plenty of wine too.  Some of my friends drink like fish so I never have a problem finding a drinking buddy...

5. Golf.  My parents are great golfers and I've always wanted to follow in their footsteps.  The first game of golf I played was maybe back in high school, and I managed to get in a few games a year.  Lately I've found that I want to play more and more especially since I'm getting more into the swing of things (no pun intended).  Golf allows me to enjoy the outdoors and get in light exercise, but also find relaxation and a little tranquility in such a chaotic world.

Ok so sleep, dessert, watermelon, alcohol, and golf.  What am I, a fraternity dude mixed with a foodie?  My point is that you don't have to find something extravagant to make life enjoyable - you just have to find something.  In the world of healthy-living blogs, a lot of these bloggers don't seem to have that balance.  They have to document every single thing that passes through their lips every day.  They have to have a PR for every single race.  They have to lead regimented lives all the time.  Is that really healthy living?  It has to be exhausting trying to do that every day.  Granted, I am not perfect.  I have my own obsessions, Type A-quirks, etc, but I don't feel compelled to share every single detail of my life on the internet.  To break up any tendency to head in that direction, I focus on maybe adding one or more of those five things to my day to make it better.  For example, on Monday I played nine holes after work, enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, and got a good night's sleep.  Those five things will obviously change over time -  maybe by month, maybe by season, but it would be a good rule of thumb to keep them in mind daily. 

I'd be interested to hear what others do to keep their daily lives in check.  Let me know!